Activatable postage

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. As an initial step, the activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and will not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage comprises a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. In order to activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/597,381, filed Dec. 11, 2017, titled “Scan and SendPostage Alternative and Relationship App,” the entirety of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Postage can be added to an item, such as a letter or package, in anumber of different ways. The United States Postal Service (USPS) sellsfixed value stamps that may be adhered to an envelope. Franking machinescan print postage directly onto an envelope. Customers can go to a kioskat a post office or other location and receive the correct postage for apackage by weighing the package and providing a destination. In theseexamples, the postage indication, such as a stamp, has a fixed valuewhen printed.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used in isolation as an aid in determining the scope of the claimedsubject matter.

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatablepostage. The activatable postage has several advantages over pre-printedpostage stamps and on-demand printed postage that is used today,including improved fraud prevention. The activatable postage describedherein is less susceptible to fraud, especially forgery, than currentpostage for at least two reasons. First, each instance of theactivatable postage has a unique appearance, in contrast to stamps,which have millions of instances of the exact same stamp. Second,validation of the activatable postage requires a postage value to beassociated with an individual instance of activatable postage in acentral database. Thus, forging an instance of activatable postagerequires a forger to both reproduce the appearance of the activatablepostage and hack a database to add a postage value to an identifier thatis machine coded within the activatable postage.

As an initial step, the activatable postage is printed on a media, suchas an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has nopostage value and will not have any value until activated. Each instanceof activatable postage comprises a unique identifier encoded in amachine-readable format. The unique identifier may be a string ofnumbers, letters, a combination of numbers and letters, or some otherunique identifier. The unique identifier may be long enough to providetrillions of different unique combinations.

Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activationprocess. The activation process utilizes a computer application runningon a computing device. In one aspect, the computing device is a userdevice such as a smart phone, PC, or tablet. In another aspect, thecomputing device is a kiosk provided in a public location such as a postoffice or store.

In order to activate an individual instance of activatable postage, theunique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to beprovided to the activation application. In one aspect, the uniqueidentifier is retrieved by scanning the activatable postage. Once theunique identifier is obtained from the individual instance ofactivatable postage, the user can provide information about the item tobe posted. The information can include a size and weight of the item.The user may also be asked to provide a destination address and/or zipcode.

Once the item information is provided, the postage rate is calculated.The user may be asked to confirm the amount or authorize payment in theamount of the calculated postage rate. Once confirmation is obtained,the application sends a message to a central postage database. Thecentral database is updated to associate the unique identifier with apostage value equal to the postage rate. Other information may also beincluded within the database, such as a destination ZIP Code.

When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage itvalidates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatablepostage. The Postal Service validates the activatable postage byextracting the encoded unique identifier from the activatable postage.The unique identifier may be extracted by scanning the activatablepostage and providing the information obtained to a decoding utility.The unique identifier is looked up within the centralized database andthe postage value associated with the unique identifier is retrieved.The postage value in the database is compared to a postage ratecalculated by analyzing the item at the post office. If the postagevalue is equal to or greater than the postage rate, then the post officeupdates the central database by deactivating the unique identifier. Oncedeactivated, the individual instance of the activatable postage will nolonger work as postage. If the postage is not adequate, then the postoffice can take steps to deal with an item having inadequate postagevalue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the invention are described in detail below with reference tothe attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example process flow for printing, inaccordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIGS. 1A-1F are a block diagrams of an example process flow forprinting, activating, and using activatable postage, in accordance withan aspect of the technology;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method for printing, activating, andusing activatable postage, in accordance with an aspect of thetechnology;

FIGS. 2A-F are a flow charts showing a detailed view of a method forprinting, activating, and using activatable postage, in accordance withan aspect of the technology;

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing a method of paying for activatablepostage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing exemplary incentives for using activatablepostage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating contacts who have received lettersmailed with activatable postage, in accordance with an aspect of thetechnology;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a graphical encouragement for usingactivatable postage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a graphical encouragement for usingactivatable postage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a graphical encouragement for usingactivatable postage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example operating environment suitablefor implementing aspects of the technology;

FIG. 10 is a diagram depicting an example computing architecturesuitable for implementing aspects of the technology;

FIG. 11 depicts a flow diagram of a method for activating pre-printedpostage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology;

FIG. 12 depicts a flow diagram of a method for processing anddeactivating activatable postage, in accordance with an aspect of thetechnology;

FIG. 13 depicts a flow diagram of a method for printing activatablepostage, in accordance with an aspect of the technology; and

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing environmentsuitable for use in implementing an aspect of the technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of aspects of the technology is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent.Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject mattermight also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps orcombinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, inconjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover,although the terms “step” and/or “block” may be used herein to connotedifferent elements of methods employed, the terms should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order among or between varioussteps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individualsteps is explicitly described.

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatablepostage. The activatable postage has several advantages over thepre-printed postage stamps and on-demand printed postage that is usedtoday, including improved fraud prevention. The activatable postagedescribed herein is less susceptible to fraud, especially forgery, thancurrent postage for at least two reasons. First, each instance of theactivatable postage has a unique appearance, in contrast to stamps,which have millions of instances of the exact same stamp. Second,validation of the activatable postage requires a postage value to beassociated with an individual instance of activatable postage in acentral database. Thus, forging an instance of activatable postagerequires a forger to both reproduce the appearance of the activatablepostage and hack a database to associate the postage value with anidentifier that is machine coded within the activatable postage.

The activatable postage will often be described herein in termsconsistent with use with the United States Post Office. The activatablepostage certainly can be used with items transported by the post office.However, the activatable postage is not limited to use with the postoffice. The activatable postage can also provide a payment mechanism fortransportation of an item (e.g., letter, package) by any carrier,including FedEx or UPS. As will be seen, coordination between thecarrier and the provider of the activatable postage is required for thecarrier to accept and validate the activatable postage.

As an initial step, the activatable postage is printed on a media, suchas an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has nopostage value and will not have any value until activated. Each instanceof activatable postage comprises a unique identifier encoded in amachine-readable format. The unique identifier may be a string ofnumbers, letters, a combination of numbers and letters, or some otherunique identifier. The unique identifier may be long enough to providetrillions of different unique combinations. The machine-readable formatcan comprise any method of encoding the unique identifier. Exemplarymethods include barcodes, QR codes, a NFC (Near Field Communication)tag, and other RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) communicationtechnology.

Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activationprocess. The activation process utilizes a computer application runningon a computing device. In one aspect, the computing device is a userdevice such as a smart phone, PC, or tablet. In another aspect, thecomputing device is part of a kiosk provided in a public location, suchas a post office or store. In one aspect, an activation kiosk isprovided within or nearby a stationary section of a drug store, grocerystore, or other store where greeting cards and other stationary may bepurchased.

In order to activate an individual instance of activatable postage, theunique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to beprovided to the activation application. In one aspect, the uniqueidentifier is retrieved by scanning the activatable postage. Forexample, the camera on a smart phone may capture an image of theactivatable postage. The image can be provided by the camera to theactivation application which decodes the unique identifier from themachine-readable format in which it is encoded. In another aspect, adecoding utility on the phone is accessed by the activation applicationto decode the unique identifier.

Once the unique identifier is obtained from the individual instance ofactivatable postage, the user can provide information about the item tobe posted. The information can include a size and weight of the item.Alternatively, the activation application can provide examples for theuser to select. For example, a user can be asked to select images ofenvelopes having different sizes with different amounts of paper in eachenvelope. Every size combination does not need to be provided, insteadrepresentative sizes and amounts of paper can be used to estimate theappropriate postage rate for the item. In one aspect, a UPC label on agreeting card or other item may be scanned to retrieve a size and weightof the item. The activation application may prompt the user to scan thegreeting card or other item in order to retrieve a size and weight,postal category, or other information that can be used to calculate thepostage rate. The user may also be asked to provide a destinationaddress. In one aspect, the activation application includes the abilityto read handwriting. In this instance, the destination address could beobtained by scanning the address listed on the item. In another aspect,the user release provides the ZIP Code of the destination.

Once the item information is provided, the postage rate is calculated.The user may be asked to confirm the amount or authorize payment in theamount of the calculated postage rate. Once confirmation is obtained,the application sends a message to a central postage database. Thecentral database is updated to associate the unique identifier with apostal value equal to the postage rate. Other information may also beincluded within the database, such as a destination ZIP Code.

The activation process on a public device can differ from the activationprocess on a private device. On a private device, the user willestablish an account when downloading and installing the application.The user account may be linked to a payment method, such as a creditcard, PayPal, Apple pay, prepaid postage account, or other electronicpayment mechanisms. Once the application is set up, the user may notneed provide any additional user/payment information during the postageactivation process.

In contrast, on a public device, such as may be found in a kiosk, theuser may be asked to login if the user already has an activatablepostage account. If the user does not already have an account, the usermay need to create an account or at least provide enough information tocomplete a payment process. Once payment is made, the user may depositthe item with the Postal Service or other carrier.

When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage itvalidates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatablepostage. The Postal Service validates the activatable postage byextracting the encoded unique identifier from the activatable postage.The unique identifier may be extracted by scanning the activatablepostage and providing the information obtained to a decoding utility.The unique identifier is looked up within the centralized database andthe postage value associated with the unique identifier is retrieved.The postage value in the database is compared to a postage ratecalculated by analyzing the item at the post office. If the postagevalue is equal to or greater than the postage rate, then the post officeupdates the central database by deactivating the unique identifier. Oncedeactivated, the individual instance of the activatable postage will nolonger work as postage. If the postage is not adequate, then the postoffice can take steps to deal with a having inadequate postage.

Various implementations are described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In anaspect, a traditional stamp is replaced with a unique object or code(e.g., a QR code, a UPC code, a digital tag like an NFC (Near FieldCommunication) device or other RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification)communication technology, or the like) that is read by a user's phone.The phone includes a mobile postage application (“app”) that scans thecode, allows the user to calculate and pay the desired/required postage,activate the code as postage detectable by a mail courier that will takethe item from the sender/gift giver to the recipient/gift receiver, andfollow the progress of the item along its path to the recipient/giftreceiver.

In one embodiment, illustrated at right as FIG. A, the technologydescribed herein may take the form of a unique QR code 10 (or other UPCcode or digital tag like NFC) place or printed in the upper right-handcorner of every envelope 12. The manufacturer of the envelope does nothave to pay the postage at the time of manufacture and the purchaser ofthe envelope does not have pay the cost of the postage (which could beunknown at the time of the purchasing of the envelope) at the time ofpurchase of the envelope. The code is not active, but is activatable bythe user of the envelope. The code need only be unique, such that it maybe tied to that particular envelope.

When the purchaser or possessor of the envelope desires to use it tosend the envelope via mail (e.g., First Class mail via the U.S. PostalService) or other courier service (e.g., an overnight delivery service,such as UPS, FedEx, or some other service that transports items, such asmessenger service, Uber drivers, airlines, trucking companies,individuals, etc.), that person scans the QR code 10 with their phoneand a mobile postage app is activated that allows them to add postage tothis unique envelope. The mobile postage app integrates the scanningfeature (whether QR, UPC, NFC, etc.) with a prompt to the user to enteror scan the destination zip code or address printed or written on thefront of the envelope. This can be done manually or by taking a photo ofthe front of the envelope and character recognition software used toenter the destination address into the app.

The user could also be prompted to enter in information about the itembeing placed in the envelope. In this example embodiment, the contentsof the envelope is a greeting card. Accordingly, the user could scan,with the camera of their phone in the app, the UPC of the greeting card.This information could then be sent through the app to a database whichcontains information on the specifics of the card, including size andweight. The card specifics can be sent back to the app to allow the appto calculate the desired postage needed at the then current rates of themail or courier service being used to transport the envelope from itscurrent location (which, if relevant, can be determined by the GPSlocation of the phone or entered manually by the user) to thedestination.

The app would then present the user with the calculated amount andprompt the user to confirm they want to use the calculated amount or addadditional postage if they have modified the package in some way. Forexample, if the user placed photographs or gift cards in the greetingcard, the user would select the option to add additional postage tocover the increased weight. Similarly, the user could add increasedpostage, in some instances, to increase the speed at which the envelopeis moved along its route (e.g., overnight vs. standard groundtransportation). The app could prompt the user with these choices andoptions and help them determine the additional amount needed.

Once the postage is determined, the user is prompted to pay the postagecalculated via their mobile device. This could be done, for example, viaa credit card payment. The user may have a credit card stored in themobile postage app or they may scan their credit card via the camera oftheir phone through the app which captures the information via characterrecognition technology. Other means for payment in a mobile environmentare possible and contemplated and within the scope of the technologydescribed herein.

Once the payment has been made, the QR code is “live” or activated. TheQR code identification details, along with the purchase details,including postage, are transmitted to the responsible courier. In thepresent example, the fact that the QR code has been activated and thepostage associated with the QR code would be communicated to the USPS(or other delivery provider). The USPS would then enter this informationinto their database of active codes so that when the envelope is scannedand sorted through existing postal systems, once the user puts in in thepostal stream, the QR code would be recognized as active and validpostage and the envelope would be delivered to its destination. Themoney collected through the alternative postage purchase process, or aportion thereof, would then be transferred to the appropriate mail orcourier service, so they are paid for transporting the envelope.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a graphical overview of an exemplary version ofthe technology described herein, is disclosed. FIG. 1 is broken intosmaller portions that are enlarged and provided as FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 1Adiscloses a “starting point” of the illustrated embodiment. Here anenvelope manufacturer, such as Hallmark Cards, Incorporated(“Hallmark”), requests unique 2D barcodes from an entity that willeventually be carrying the envelope, such as the USPS. The unique 2Dbarcodes are stored in a database. In one embodiment they containadditional information associated therewith relating to the status ofthe barcode. In the illustrated embodiment, this is shown as a table ora “starting record” with various fields. The fields may includeinformation on the barcode such as an “active” status indicator, a“paid” status indicator, and a “processed” status indicator. At theonset, all of the fields indicate a “0”, as the barcode is neitheractive, paid, nor processed at this point. The information associatedwith the barcode can also include information on the size of theenvelope upon which the barcode was placed. This can be used later forcalculating the postage required.

It is worth noting that, in another embodiment, the envelopemanufacturer may generate their own unique codes that they later provideto the various carrying/delivery services. This, however, would takesome coordination if the system were to have more than one envelopemanufacturer.

Turning back to FIG. 1A, once the envelope is made with a barcodeprinted thereon, the database is updated to indicate the barcode hasbeen used (i.e., it is on an envelope). It, however, is not yet paidfor, nor has the barcode been used as a stamp. The envelope with thebarcode is then put in the stream of commerce where a “SENDER” purchasesthe envelope, perhaps along with a greeting card. It should be notedthat the envelopes could be sold without accompanying items such asgreeting cards. Users could buy them for sending their regular mail. Inthis manner they would never need to go purchase stamps, as they couldsimply activate them when needed and the then current postage rate couldbe applied.

In FIG. 1B, we see that where one would normally place a stamp (i.e., inthe upper right-hand corner) a visual marker is placed to convey to theuser of the envelope that the envelope doesn't need a stamp but that theuser may activate the visual marker as a stamp. The visual marker mayinclude stamp-like graphics, logos, and other items. It will alsoinclude the barcode. Again, as discussed above, the barcode could be anynumber of items, instead of the QR code illustrated. It should be notedthat a less identifiable code could be used. For example, the crown inthe illustrated visual marker could be embedded with coding detectibleto the app's scanner, but not readily perceptible to a human user (i.e.,it is a machine readable code that is not perceptible as such by thehuman eye). The appearance of the clear machine code, however, may beuseful in conveying to users that it is to be scanned and where to scan.

The user downloads the mobile postage app (in this case identified asthe HALLMARK PROJECT EAGLE app) and installs the same. When the app isopened the user has the option to proceed with the process to activate a“stamp” or envelope. One step in that process is to scan the barcode ofthe envelope. The GUI may graphically direct or illustrate to the userthe portion of the visual marker they are to scan. Once the barcode isscanned, that information may be transmitted to the database.

While not illustrated (as it is not necessary in this embodiment), theuser may also be prompted to enter information about the destination ofthe envelope, as this may affect the postage due. The user could key inthe information manually though a keyboard displayed on their phone, usespeech-to-text voice recognition, or may use the same camera andscanning process used to capture the barcode to capture the addresswritten on the front of the envelope. The app can include characterrecognition software to identify the letter and numbers in the image toenter destination information, such as city and zip code. This can beused in the relationship app later, in addition to being used in feecalculation. A further step could be provided to give the user theability to speed up the delivery process by paying an increased fee(e.g., for overnight delivery when used with such couriers). Since theillustrated embodiment is for domestic use of first class mail, thedestination information is not necessary to obtain, as it doesn't affectthe postage needed.

In FIG. 1C, the user is instructed to provide information about what isbeing sent inside the envelope. Where, as here, the user is sending agreeting card in the envelope, the user may provide information aboutthe contents simply by scanning the UPC of the greeting card. Thatinformation is sent to a database which collects details on the cardbeing sent, including the size and weight of the card. The contentsinformation is then sent to the database as well. This is the “Lookup”step. The verification process begins, including checking with thedatabase to confirm the barcode is valid.

The remaining “verify” steps are shown in FIG. 1D.Verification/confirmation that the barcode is valid includes the fieldsshowing the barcode is active, not already paid for, and not alreadyused in a mailing. This step can also determine other information, suchas whether the scanned greeting card will fit in the envelope beingactivated.

Once the verification process has occurred, the app uses the gatheredinformation, along with the known information on costs provide by thecourier of the envelope, to determine the postage due. The calculatedpostage due is displayed to the user and they are prompted to pay theamount through the app. In the illustrated embodiment, a user isprompted to enter their credit card information. This information can bestored in the app for later purchases. Alternatively, the same cameraand scanning process used above can be used to scan (i.e., capture animage of) the user's credit card and the character recognition softwarecan determine the numbers/characters and enter them for the user. Anyother online payment options and payment verification methods may beused at this step. Once the information is entered, the user indicatesthey want the postage activated, in this case by pressing the “ACTIVATE”icon.

Once activated, the user, in FIG. 1E, hands the envelope over to thecourier, which, in this case, is putting the envelope in a USPS mailbox.Also, upon activation and payment, the record associated with thebarcode in the database is updated to indicated the barcode is not onlyactive, but also paid (i.e., valid postage ready to be used).

FIG. 1F illustrates the envelope passing through the USPS system. Here,the barcode is scanned by a postal machine and compared with thedatabase. If the barcode is active and paid, but not yet processed, theenvelope is allowed to pass through and go out for delivery. If it wasnot activated or paid for, or if it was already used, the envelope canbe treated like any other envelope received by the USPS that doesn'tinclude postage. The postal system can also verify that the weight ofthe envelope is the proper amount for the postage that was paid. If theenvelope is heavier than the amount calculated, the envelope may againbe treated like any other piece of mail with insufficient postage. Wheneverything is correct and verified, the envelope is sent on for deliveryand the database is updated to show the barcode as now inactive andprocessed (i.e., already used—the equivalent of a cancelled stamp).

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing a method 200 for activating postage,according to an aspect of the technology described herein. FIG. 2 isbroken into smaller portions that are enlarged and provided as FIGS.2A-2F. Turning now to FIG. 2A, at step 201 the user decides whether tosend the envelope via mail (i.e., he needs postage activated) or handdeliver the card to someone. The technology described herein allows forsuch an option, whereas pre-paid postage requires the user to pay forthe postage at the time of purchase, whether they will use it or not,and without knowing if they will need additional postage. Here, thereare no upfront costs and costs are only incurred if the user decides toactivate the postage.

At step 202, consumer awareness marketing of the app and the alternativepostage option is performed.

At step 203, the user may then download the app. This can be donemanually by navigating to a webpage or searching for the app in an appstore. At step 204, the postage activation app can be accessed byscanning the pre-printed postage with a camera on a smart phone, table,or other device on which the application is to be installed. In thisway, the barcode can serve as both activatable postage and a guide tofind and download the application needed to activate the postage. In oneaspect, the barcode comprises two different barcodes encoding differentinformation. One barcode can encode the activatable postage identifierand the other the app identifier. While installing the app, standard appsetting up questions may be asked to access a camera, GPS, contacts, orother device functions. At step 205, a request to access contacts ismade. At step 206, a request to access a camera is made. At step 207, arequest to access GPS (or location services) is made.

Turning now to FIG. 2B, at step 208 the user opens the app and at step209 creates an account (or proceeds as a guest.) At step 210, the usersupplies social media credentials to create an account. At step 211, andinstruction video may be shown, if desired. At step 212, a free stamp orcredit may be given. The user may be asked to supply a payment method,such as a credit card to the application. Postage purchases may be madeon an as-needed basis or postage could be purchased in a block, such as$50.00. If purchases in a block, individual postage transactions can bededucted from the available balance.

At step 214, the app can output for display instructions showing a userwhere to scan the barcode. At step 213, a user may scan a barcode of theactivatable postage. At step 215, the app validates the scanned barcode.In order to validate the scanned barcode, the application may requestinformation about the unique identifier decoded from the barcode from acentral server that tracks the status of activatable postage. At step216, the application can provide feedback if the stamp has already beenused or is otherwise unavailable for use.

The app then requests information on the contents of a package on whichthe postage is printed or affixed. Where the contents are a greetingcard, the user is prompted to scan the barcode (i.e., UPC) of thegreeting card at step 217. At step 218, the app can show the user whereto scan the UPC. At step 219, the card's barcode can be checked andinformation about the card can be compared to the envelope to confirmthe card fits in the envelope being used, thereby validating theenvelope at step 220.

Turning now to FIG. 2C, at step 221, the user is prompted provideinformation about the destination of the envelope, such as the zip code.This information can be the full address (step 222). At step 223, theinformation can be pulled from the user's contacts. At step 224, the appcan also store previous addresses used in a history file and thatinformation can be provided to the user in order for the user to supplythe destination address. At step 225, the entered zip code can bevalidated for accuracy. At step 226 and 227, the app can also obtaininformation from the courier at as to the estimated delivery of theenvelope to the entered destination.

Turning now to FIG. 2D, at step 228, the user is prompted to put thecard in the envelope and seal the envelope (step 229). At step 230, theapp uses the gathered information to calculate the postage due. At step231, the user can be prompted to see if they need to add extra postagebecause they have added additional items to the package. The app canalso inform the sender if extra postage is due from the obtained sizedate.

Once those items are handled, the user is instructed to pay for postageat step 232. At step 234, the user pays for the postage by inputtingcredit card information. At step 235, the user can be prompted to storethe information for future use or create. At step 236, the user can beasked to create an account, if the user does not already have anaccount. At step 237, the credit card information is validated. At step238, the central postage database is updated to indicate that thebarcode is paid and active, but not processed (i.e., previously used).

Turning now to FIG. 2E, at step 239, the app informs the user to notplace a stamp on the activated code. At step 240, the user is promptedto place the envelope in a mailbox for collection. Once in the mailsystem, the courier (the USPS in this example) validates the barcode atstep 241. At step 242, the postage carrier can the update the centralpostage database to show the barcode as paid, not active, and processed.

FIG. 2F illustrates some further steps that can be provided by the appand which are discussed in more detail below. For example, at step 243,the app can track and display the location of the envelope as it movesthrough the delivery process. This can include alerts to the user as theenvelope nears the known destination. At step 244, the recipient, ifalso an app user, can give feedback to the sender on the card. At step245, the app can keep a history of the cards sent to each recipient andthe timing of the sending. At step 246, the date of the deliver isstored. At step 247, the destination of the delivery is stored. At step248, this information can be used to help the app user in the future.For example, if the app determines from a previous use and scan that theuser sent a birthday card to someone on May 5th, the following year theapp may send a notification to the user on April 25th asking if theywant to get a birthday card for that person's upcoming birthday.Additions to the app may allow for shopping for that card through theapp or directions to a nearby location where cards can be purchased. Theapp may even suggest cards based off of the previous genres sent to thatparticular recipient.

FIG. 3 illustrates various methods for collecting and distributingpayment depending on the systems preferred by the app operator ordelivery partner. For example, in Option 1, Hallmark is the Merchant orRecord (“MOR”). Hallmark, as manufacturer of the envelopes, provides theapp 310 and consumers pay postage due in the Hallmark app. Hallmarkestablishes a Centralized Account Processing System (“CAPS”) 320 accountwith the USPS (or other carrier). A CAPS account is the USPS'selectronic postage payment system. Hallmark enters the barcode numbersand postage paid amounts in the CAPS account. The USPS 330 withdrawsmoney for the verified and processed barcodes from the CAPS account.USPS performs the scanning and verification in the mail process. USPSthen reports to Hallmark the barcodes used/cancelled/activated/processedand the amounts withdrawn from the CAPS account.

In Option 2, Hallmark creates an account separate from the USPS's CAPSsystem. USPS still verifies the barcodes and amounts, but then requestspayments off of those activations from the Hallmark account. In Option3, USPS is the MORand, as such, the consumer pays USPS directly for thepostage, either through the Hallmark app or through an ApplicationProgramming Interface (“API”) 312.

In addition to the mobile postage application providing for activationof alternative postage, the app can be used to get the sender moreinvolved in the sending process. In that regard, the app can provide arelationship component as well. For example, the app can digitallydepict all of the user's activated envelopes as the journey through themail/delivery process and thereby create for the sender an interactivestorytelling experience that strengthens relationships. The interactivestorytelling experience includes basic tracking functions, alerts,notifications, reminders, product and content recommendations, as wellsas collecting/providing addresses. Over time, the interactivestorytelling experience creates cumulative data visualizations of asender and recipients' connecting loop and relationship growth.

One method of facilitating this connection can occur during the envelopeand greeting card scanning process. Here the sender is requested tophotograph the greeting card cover or scan the UPC barcode on the backof the card. They are also prompted if a recipient's address should belooked up and/or saved. This process will connect them to a digitaladdress book and/or their universal address book from other platforms ifneeded. When the address is saved, senders are prompted that other keyinformation could be added such as birthdays. Senders are not requiredto enter information immediately. The recipient name and relationshipmay be required, as it is used throughout the storytelling process.

The image of the greeting card or other likeness is then taken throughan animated interactive journey that tracks the envelope's progressthrough the mail to the recipient. Along the way prompts andnotifications alert the sender of the delivery path and possiblycollects other sender or recipient information in a gamified manner.When the envelope arrives at the physical address, the sender receives anotification and prompt on their phone to return eventually to the app.The app will also receive an on-screen app icon standard notification(e.g., a red badge). When the app is opened, the sender will receive anaffirmation animation of their card's impact on the recipient. Anexample could be an animated greeting card opening and releasing hearts,graduation caps, birthday balloons, and other seasonal/occasion basedicons. Other examples could be avatar based with sender and recipientsreceiving animated badges, totems, tokens, or symbols that transformthemselves, objects, or grant them access to various kinds of rewards.

The recipient could also participate by logging on to the app throughthe envelope or greeting card or through an invitation from the sender.The invitation could be physically noted in the greeting card or sentthrough a digital interface like a text message or email. The recipientcan send digital feedback to the sender in the storytelling experiencewith similar or same actions/reward as described above.

Over time the interactive storytelling experience creates cumulativedata visualizations of sender and recipients connecting loop andrelationship growth. For example this could be represented through mapsand the building of bridges, or a tree that grows heart shape leaveswith each card and changes seasonally, or simple, but fun graphs thattie into the themes of the overall app. The data fueling thevisualization will come from the addresses collected andsender/recipient entered information, as well as potential feedback fromthe delivery provider (e.g., USPS). The sender will receive reminders,notifications, and product/content recommendations based on metadata,key worda, and profiling strategies. As senders interact with the app,their collected data and interactions will tailor recommendations anddigital storytelling to fit the consumer's personal connecting style.

For example, connections could be represented as gifts of digital tools,items, and artifacts providing fantastical or more representativeindividual enablement based on the personality type of the recipient, asdepicted in FIG. 4.

Likewise, a tracking of the relationship could be depicted in a mannerthat visually conveys information to the user. For example, over time,the relationships affected could be represented as visual avatars ofheroes or other characters in an expansive grid with the characters thathave strengthened the most near the center, as depicted in FIG. 5.

Further, each card sent could be represented through a digital “badge”or “sticker” and as the sender makes these connections, “stickers” canaccumulate in a digital archive that can then be revisited as a reminderof the relationship and occasion, as depicted in FIG. 6. As the sendersends greeting cards to people, the caring reach of his or her armscould grow to encompass more people and/or places, as depicted in FIG.7, below right.

The feelings of warmth, love, support, encouragement, etc. can berepresented through environmental icons and the sender's impact on theirrecipient and/or the region could be shown in the app through a visualspreading of those icons.

From the foregoing it will be seen that technology described herein iswell adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with the other advantages which are obvious and which areinherent to the method and apparatus. It will be understood that certainfeatures and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed withoutreference to other features and subcombinations. For example, while theexamples above talk about the barcode/alternative postage being printedon an envelope, the technology described herein is not limited to such ause. For example, the barcodes may be printed on sheets of labels orpackages of labels. Consumers may purchase the labels to apply them tostandard blank envelopes or to parcels/packages. The barcode on thelabel may be used in the same manner as above.

Further, multiple couriers may all be provided access to the databaseand collect their share of revenues from the postage collected for thepackages they deliver. For example, at the start of the app, the usermay be provided with a list of all of the couriers available for usethrough the alternative postage. In one instance the user may select alocal messenger to deliver documents to another building. When thatoption is selected, the user may be asked to enter information specificto that courier and that type of delivery (e.g., pickup time, deliverydeadline, etc.). Certain selected couriers may even be able to benotified by the app of a pickup and may be able to notify the senderthrough the app that they are almost at the pickup location. Once thatservice scans the barcode on the label, the fees collected to activatethat barcode for the service are associated with that courier. In thismanner the barcodes on the labels may be used for many differentservices from many different service providers. These modifications andothers are contemplated by and is within the scope of the technologydescribed herein.

Turning now to FIG. 9, a block diagram is provided showing an operatingenvironment 900 in which aspects of the present disclosure may beemployed. It should be understood that this and other arrangementsdescribed herein are set forth only as examples. Other arrangements andelements (e.g., machines, interfaces, functions, orders, and groupingsof functions) can be used in addition to or instead of those shown, andsome elements may be omitted altogether for the sake of clarity.Further, many of the elements described herein are functional entitiesthat may be implemented as discrete or distributed components or inconjunction with other components, and in any suitable combination andlocation. Various functions described herein as being performed by oneor more entities may be carried out by hardware, firmware, and/orsoftware. For instance, some functions may be carried out by a processorexecuting instructions stored in memory.

Among other components not shown, example operating environment 900includes a number of user devices, such as user devices 902 a and 902 bthrough 902 n; a number of carrier locations, such as carriers 904 a and904 b through 904 n; postage server 906; and network 910. It should beunderstood that environment 900 shown in FIG. 9 is an example of onesuitable operating environment. Each of the components shown in FIG. 9may be implemented via any type of computing device, such as computingdevice 1400, described in connection to FIG. 14, for example. Thesecomponents may communicate with each other via network 910, which mayinclude, without limitation, one or more local area networks (LANs)and/or wide area networks (WANs). In exemplary implementations, network910 comprises the Internet and/or a cellular network, amongst any of avariety of possible public and/or private networks.

It should be understood that any number of user devices, servers, andcarrier locations may be employed within operating environment 900within the scope of the present disclosure. Each may comprise a singledevice or multiple devices cooperating in a distributed environment. Forinstance, postage server 906 may be provided via multiple devicesarranged in a distributed environment that collectively provide thefunctionality described herein. As an example, the postage server 906may be a group of servers located at one or more different data centers.Additionally, other components not shown may also be included within thedistributed environment.

User devices 902 a and 902 b through 902 n can be client devices on theclient-side of operating environment 900, while postage service 906 canbe on the server-side of operating environment 900. Postage service 906can comprise server-side software designed to work in conjunction withclient-side software on user devices 902 a and 902 b through 902 n so asto implement any combination of the features and functionalitiesdiscussed in the present disclosure. This division of operatingenvironment 900 is provided to illustrate one example of a suitableenvironment, and there is no requirement for each implementation thatany combination of postage service 906 and user devices 902 a and 902 bthrough 902 n remain as separate entities.

User devices 902 a and 902 b through 902 n may comprise any type ofcomputing device capable of use by a user. The user devices may bepersonal devices, such as phones, tablets, or laptops or public devices,such as a computer associated with a postage activation kiosk. Forexample, in one aspect, user devices 902 a through 902 n may be the typeof computing device described in relation to FIG. 14 herein. By way ofexample and not limitation, a user device may be embodied as a personalcomputer (PC), a laptop computer, a mobile or mobile device, asmartphone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, a wearable computer, apersonal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, global positioningsystem (GPS) or device, video player, handheld communications device,gaming device or system, entertainment system, vehicle computer system,embedded system controller, remote control, appliance, consumerelectronic device, a workstation, or any combination of these delineateddevices, or any other suitable device where postage may be activated.

Carrier locations 904 a and 904 b through 904 n may comprise physicalfacilities for receiving and processing postal items, such as lettersand packages. For example, a post office is an example of a singlecarrier location. The carrier location can include mechanical sortingequipment and postal processing equipment that validates the activatablepostage and then routes the item associated with the activatable postageto its destination, possibly a second carrier location. The carrierlocations can comprise computing systems that connect to the postageservice 906.

The postage service 906 manages a database that tracks the status ofactivatable postage. Initially, the database can be populated with aplurality of activatable postage records. Each record can comprise aunique identifier associated with a single instance of activatablepostage. Other fields in the record can include a status field that canbe either activated or deactivated, a postage value associated with therecord, the destination ZIP Code, date of activation, date ofdeactivation, and the like. The postage service 906 may be implementedacross a series of servers in multiple data centers. The postage service906 interfaces with user devices in order to activate individualinstances of activatable postage. The postage service 906 alsointerfaces with carrier locations in order to deactivate individualinstances of activatable postage. The postage service 906 can alsointerface with different payment systems, as needed.

Operating environment 900 can be utilized to implement one or more ofthe components of system 1000, described in FIG. 10, includingcomponents for collecting user data, monitoring communication events,generating modified notifications, and/or presenting notifications andrelated content to users.

Referring now to FIG. 10, with FIG. 10, a block diagram is providedshowing aspects of an example computing system architecture suitable forimplementing an aspect of the technology and designated generally assystem 1000. System 1000 represents only one example of a suitablecomputing system architecture. Other arrangements and elements can beused in addition to or instead of those shown, and some elements may beomitted altogether for the sake of clarity. Further, as with operatingenvironment 900, many of the elements described herein are functionalentities that may be implemented as discrete or distributed componentsor in conjunction with other components, and in any suitable combinationand location.

Example system 1000 includes network 910, which is described inconnection to FIG. 9, and which communicatively couples components ofsystem 1000 including user-data collection component 1014, carrierlocation 1016, user device 1020, activatable postage provider 1030,activatable postage service 1080, payment system 1090, and storage 1025.Activatable postage service 1080 (including its components 1081, 1082,and 1083), user-data collection component 1014, and payment system 1090(including its components 1086, 1088, and 1089) may be embodied as a setof compiled computer instructions or functions, program modules,computer software services, or an arrangement of processes carried outon one or more computer systems, such as computing device 1400 describedin connection to FIG. 14, for example.

In one aspect, the functions performed by components of system 1000 areassociated with one or more personal assistant applications, services,or routines. In particular, such applications, services, or routines mayoperate on one or more user devices (such as user device 902 a), servers(such as server 906), may be distributed across one or more user devicesand servers, or be implemented in the cloud. Moreover, in some aspects,these components of system 1000 may be distributed across a network,including one or more servers (such as server 906) and client devices(such as user device 902 a), in the cloud, or may reside on a userdevice such as user device 902 a. Moreover, these components, functionsperformed by these components, or services carried out by thesecomponents may be implemented at appropriate abstraction layer(s) suchas the operating system layer, application layer, hardware layer, etc.,of the computing system(s). Alternatively, or in addition, thefunctionality of these components and/or the aspects of the technologydescribed herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or morehardware logic components. For example, and without limitation,illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used includeField-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application-specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs), Application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs),System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices(CPLDs), etc. Additionally, although functionality is described hereinwith regards to specific components shown in example system 200, it iscontemplated that in some aspects functionality of these components canbe shared or distributed across other components.

Continuing with FIG. 10, user-data collection component 1014 isgenerally responsible for accessing or receiving (and in some cases alsoidentifying) user data from one or more data sources. The user data caninclude a history of postage purchases, destination information, productpurchases, account information, social network information, paymentinformation, and other information related to activatable postage. Insome aspects, user-data collection component 1014 may be employed tofacilitate the accumulation of user data of one or more users for theactivatable postage service 1080. The data may be received (oraccessed), and optionally accumulated, reformatted, and/or combined, andstored in one or more data stores such as storage 1025, where it may beavailable to activatable postage service 1080. For example, the userdata may be stored in or associated with a user profile 1040, asdescribed herein.

The user profile 1040, is stored in a variety of information gleanedfrom a user's purchase of activatable postage, postage activity,purchase activity, and other related activity. The user may be providedopt in or opt out interface where the information being stored in a userprofile is explained to the user. The user may be given the option toexclude various data sources or data from the user profile. The user maybe given the option to delete existing records, correct information, andprovide feedback about the information in the user profile.

The user information can include details about a postage account 1042.Postage account 1042 helps facilitate activation of postage. The postageaccount 1042 may comprise a user ID and password. The postage account1042 can also be associated with various payment methods. The postageaccount 1042 can include unique identifiers for different user devices.Information such as a home address, work address, application versions,email addresses, phone numbers, and the like may also be stored in thepostage account 1042.

The postage account 1042 can facilitate a prepaid activatable postageaccount. The user may pay in advance for an amount of postage. In thisscenario, the postal value assigned to activatable postage is debitedfrom the prepaid account upon activation. The user may receive noticeswhen the account value passes below a threshold. The user may be giventhe option of replenishing the account through the activationapplication when an activatable postage instance is being activated andthe prepaid account falls below a threshold.

The postage history 1043 stores a record of postage purchased,destinations the purchased postage was used to send items to, and anyother information about the user's use or purchase of activatablepostage.

The contacts record 1044 may comprise a contacts record accessible to anactivation application residing on a user device. In one instance, theuser gives the activation application permission to access the contactson the user device. In another instance, the contacts 1044 are from aseparate source, such as the destination addresses used on activatablepostage. The contacts 1044 can include social media contacts, workcontacts, or other contacts affiliated with the user.

The user accounts activity data 1048 provides information about one ormore separate accounts, such as email or social media accounts. In oneaspect, a user is able to authenticate himself to the activation systemusing social media credentials. If the user selects this authenticationmethod, then the credentials may be associated with the user profile1040.

The activatable postage provider 1030 can provide activatable postage ina number of formats. In one aspect, the activatable postage provider1030 is an entity that prints activatable postage on envelopes,stickers, or other media. A postage provider 1030 can contract with oneor more carriers for the activatable postage to be valid. Unlike stamps,the activatable postage could be accepted by multiple carriers. Multiplecarriers could access the activatable postage service 1080 and receivecompensation by validating and deactivating an instance of activatablepostage.

The activatable postage provider 1030 can also provide an activationapplication 1022 and the payment system 1090. Further, the activatablepostage service 1080 can be set up and run by the activatable postageprovider 1030. The activatable postage provider 1030 can take aninterest in individual transactions. For example, the activatablepostage provider 1030 can agree to make up the difference between apostage value assigned to an activatable postage instance and acalculated postage rate charged by the carrier for the item associatedwith the instance. Similarly, the activatable postage provider 1030 canmanage the user profiles 1040, in other aspects of the system.

The user device 1020 comprises an activation application 1022 and a webbrowser 1024 among many other components not shown. The user device 1022can be similar to the user devices 902 a described previously withreference to FIG. 9. Both the activation application 1022 and the webbrowser 1024 may be used to activate postage through the user device1020. In either instance, aspects of the activation process may beperformed by components operating a computing devices apart from theuser device 1020. FIG. 11 describes a postage activation method thatcould be performed by the user device 1020.

Turning now to FIG. 11, a method 1100 for of activating postage from acomputing device is provided. The computing device may be a user device,such as described previously reference to user device 1020. Theactivation process of method 1100 may utilize an activation applicationrunning on a computing device. The activation process may use a webbrowser or other application to access a web page through which thepostage may be activated according to the steps described below. In oneaspect, the computing device is a user device such as a smart phone, PC,or tablet. In another aspect, the computing device is part of a kioskprovided in a public location, such as a post office or store. In oneaspect, an activation kiosk is provided within or nearby a stationarysection of a drug store, grocery store, or other store where greetingcards and other stationary may be purchased.

Initially, the user may gain access to an activation application. In oneexample, the user downloads and installs an activation application onhis or her user device. In another aspect, the user accesses anapplication through a webpage. In yet another example, the user accessesan activation application at a publicly available computing device. Theactivation application may ask the user to login with credentials andfollow an authentication process. As part of this process userinformation may need to be provided as described previously.

The activation application can guide the user through the activationprocess with tips or prompts for various steps displayed through agraphical user interface. Initially, the user may be prompted to scanthe activatable postage the user wants to activate. The user can scanthe activatable postage using the camera on the user device. The userinterface may show a camera view in a portion of the screen to help theuser see where the camera is pointed. Once an adequate image iscaptured, the user may be informed the scanning process is complete.

At a minimum, the activatable postage comprises unique identifierencoded in a machine-readable format, such as a QR code. As mentioned,the activatable postage may be affixed to an envelope or other item. Theactivatable postage could be printed on a sticker that can in turn beaffixed to the item to be posted. The activatable postage may also havea human readable alphanumeric string to help the user differentiatebetween different instances of activatable postage. The human readablealphanumeric string may be related to the unique identifier orcompletely separate. For example, the string could be the last fivecharacters of the unique string. Activatable postage may also comprise awatermark or other security mark to help prevent forgeries.

At step 1110, a unique identifier that is encoded within an instance ofactivatable postage printed on an item is received at a postageactivation application. In order to activate an individual instance ofactivatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatablepostage needs to be provided to the activation application. In oneaspect, the unique identifier is retrieved by scanning the activatablepostage. For example, the camera on a smart phone may capture an imageof the activatable postage. The image can be provided by the camera tothe activation application which decodes the unique identifier from themachine-readable format in which it is encoded. In another aspect, adecoding utility on the phone is accessed by the activation applicationto decode the unique identifier.

At step 1120, a postage rate required for the item to be posted isdetermined. The user can be prompted to provide information about theitem to be posted in order to calculate the postage rate. Theinformation can include a size and weight of the item. Alternatively,the activation application can provide examples for the user to selectin order to estimate a size and weight. For example, a user can be askedto select images of envelopes having different sizes with differentamounts of paper in each envelope. Every size combination does not needto be provided, instead representative sizes and amounts of paper can beused to estimate the appropriate postage rate for the item.

In one aspect, a UPC label on a greeting card or other commercialproduct may be scanned to retrieve a size and weight of the item. Theactivation application may prompt the user to scan the UPC label ongreeting card or other item. The activation application may look upinformation about a commercial product from a database. The activationapplication may use a backend service to perform this function.Alternatively, the activation application may have a local record ofsome UPC labels and corresponding postal information. The user may alsobe asked to provide a destination address. In one aspect, the activationapplication includes the ability to read handwriting. In this instance,the destination address could be obtained by scanning the address listedon the item. In another aspect, an address can be selected from theuser's contact information. User may be transferred to a contactinterface on the user device in order to select a contact andcorresponding address. The user may be asked to select different postaloptions, such as first-class mail, express shipping, next day delivery,media mail, or some other option.

Once the item information is provided and postal options selected, thepostage rate is calculated. The user may be asked to confirm the amountor authorize payment in the amount of the calculated postage rate. Apostal value equal to the postage rate will then be associated with theactivatable postage.

At step 1130, an activation message is communicated to anactivatable-postage service. The activation message comprises a postagevalue equal to the postage rate and the unique identifier. Onceconfirmation is obtained, the application sends a message to a centralpostage service. The service updates a central database to associate theunique identifier with a postal value equal to the postage rate. Otherinformation may also be included within the message, such as adestination ZIP Code and user ID of the user activating the postage.

In the event of a miscalculation of the postage rate, the user maypre-authorize the central postage service to charge the user adifference between the postage rate and a postage rate subsequentlycalculated by the carrier.

Returning to FIG. 10, payment for the postage value assigned to anactivatable postage instance can be processed by the payment system1090. In one aspect, user's for entities such as companies, pay advanceto create a pre-paid postage account. These accounts are managed by thepre-paid account component 1086. The prepaid postage account componentand a six canned track the balance in various accounts and providebalance updates to users.

The customer payment component 1088 is responsible for receiving fundsfrom customers activating postage. The customer payments component 1088can receive payment from credit cards and other payment methods. Thecustomer payment component 1088 can control the timing of customerpayments. In one aspect, customer charges on a credit card areaccumulated for an hour, day or some other time and passed along as agroup. In one aspect, charges are accumulated so long as an activeapplication session is ongoing. An active application session may beongoing when the activation is open and continues to receive inputwithout an interruption lasting longer than a threshold duration, suchas five minutes. At the conclusion of the activation session, the sum ofall postage values added to activatable postage during the session arecharged as a lump sum to the user's credit card or payment method.

The postal payments component 1089 is responsible for transferring fundsto a carrier that received an item posted using activatable postage. Inone aspect, funds are transferred to the postal payment component 1089upon activation of an instance of activatable postage. In anotherinstance, funds are transferred to the carrier on the carrier providinga deactivation message to the activatable postage service 1080.

Returning to FIG. 10, the activatable postage service 1080 comprises apostage database 1081, an activation interface 1082, and a postalinterface 1084. The postage database 1081 include records for individualinstances of activatable postage. The information included in eachrecord can vary, but exemplary information includes the uniqueidentifier associated with the instance of activatable postage, postageamount associated with the record, and active/deactive status, a datepostage was added to the record, a date postage was deactivated, carrieridentification, carrier location identification, destinationinformation, and user identification information. The activationinterface 1082 helps facilitate the activation process for interfacingwith an activation application, such as activation application 1022. Theactivation interface 1082 can receive an activation instruction andprovide an instruction to update the postage database 1081 according tothe activation instruction. The postal interface 1084 communicates withthe carrier location 1016. The activatable postage service 1080 contractand update the activation status of activatable postage, as describedwith reference to FIG. 12.

Turning now to FIG. 12, a method 1200 for tracking an activation statusof activatable postage is provided. At step 1210, an activation messagethat comprises a postage value and a unique identifier associated withan instance of activatable postage is received. The activation messagemay be received from an activation application. The postage value may becalculated by the activation application for a particular item to whichactivatable postage is attached. The unique identifier will correspondwith the activatable postage attached to the item.

At step 1220, a first update is performed on a record in anactivatable-postage database to associate the unique identifier with thepostage value. Other information may be updated, such as the date ofactivation, the user associated with the activation, and activationentity responsible for the activatable postage, and the like.

At step 1230, a deactivation message is received from a carrier thatreceived an item with the instance of activatable postage affixed to theitem.

At step 1240, a second update is performed on the record in theactivatable-postage database to deactivate the instance of activatablepostage. The field maybe provided to describe the activation status ofthe activatable postage instance. Once deactivated, the activatablepostage instance will not be usable the second time without reactivationby going through the reactivation process a second time.

Returning to FIG. 10, the carrier location 1016 can be similar to thecarrier locations described previously with reference to FIG. 9. Forexample, the carrier location 1016 can be post office. The carrierlocation 1016 is responsible for receiving and processing items that areposted using activatable postage. As part of the processing, the carrierlocation 1016 and validate activatable and then deactivated it bycommunicating with the activatable postage service 1080. FIG. 13describes a method for validating and deactivating postage that may beperformed by the carrier location 1016.

Turning now to FIG. 13, a method 1300 of processing activatable postageis provided. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatablepostage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates theactivatable postage.

At step 1310, an item is received with an instance of activatablepostage affixed to the item. The carrier location, such as a postoffice, can use automated machinery to process and route items. In oneaspect, items having activatable postage are identified by scanning thepostage on the items. Different types of postage may be processeddifferent ways. Once identified, the activatable postage is validated.Validating the postage comprises identifying a postage value currentlyassociated with the activatable postage and comparing it to a calculatedpostage rate for the item.

At step 1320, a unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage isidentified using a sensor. The unique identifier may be extracted byscanning the activatable postage and providing the information obtainedto a decoding utility. As mentioned previously, the unique identifiermay be encoded as a QR code, barcode, or in some other machine readableformat. The scanning method employed is suitable for the encoding methodused.

At step 1330, a correct postage rate is calculated for the item. Thecorrect postage may be calculated according to a size and weight of theitem, postage class, delivery location, and other factors. The correctpostage rate may be calculated at any point in the process prior to thecomparison of the correct postage rate with the postage value associatedwith the activatable postage.

At step 1340, a request is communicated to an activatable-postageservice for a postage value associated with the unique identifier. Therequest can take any number of forms. In one aspect, and asynchronousqueue-based communication is set up between the carrier location andactivatable postage service. This system allows an open channel ofcommunications to be maintained. When activated postage needsvalidation, a request is communicated to a queue in theactivatable-postage service. The service then processes the request andprovides a response by looking up the requested information in anactivatable postage database. In general, a request for the associatedpostage value only requires the unique identifier, but can includedifferent information. The request itself may include a request ID thatis used to respond to the specific request.

At step 1350, the postage value is received from the activatable-postageservice. The postage value may be returned in a response message.

At step 1360, the postage value is compared to the correct postage rate.Various actions can be taken based on comparison. In the simplest casewhen the postage value is greater than or equal to the postage rate, theitem is processed and routed to its destination. Various things canoccur when the postage value is less than the postage rate. In one case,the carrier can handle the item as it would handle any other item withadequate postage. For example, the post office could ask for therecipient to supply the difference between the calculated rate and thepostage value.

In one aspect, aspects of the technology allow postage value associatedwith unique identifier to be adjusted upwards to match the calculatedrate. As mentioned, the user may preauthorize the application interfaceand corresponding service to debit the user in the amount of any postageshortfall. Alternatively, an entity providing the activatable postagemay take on responsibility for the shortfall itself. In either case, amessage can be communicated to the activatable postage service 1080requesting additional funds to make up the difference. When a system isplace to adjust the shortfall either by charging the user the entityactivating the postage then an updated postage value may be provided inthe exact amount of the calculated rate. The validation process can thenrestart using the updated postage value.

At step 1370, a deactivation message is communicated to theactivatable-postage service. Once the carrier has processed the item andvalidated the activatable postage, a message to deactivate the postageis provided. The message can include the unique identifier as well asrelevant information, such as the calculated rate. The calculated ratecan act as feedback that helps the activation application improve thepostage rate estimates that provides users. The deactivation message caninclude identification of the carrier location. In an aspect, theactivatable postage service 1080 can interface with multiple carriers.Carriers may receive compensation in the amount of the calculatedpostage rate upon receiving a deactivation message.

With reference to FIG. 14, computing device 1400 includes a bus 1410that directly or indirectly couples the following devices: memory 1412,one or more processors 1414, one or more presentation components 1416,one or more input/output (I/O) ports 1418, one or more I/O components1420, and an illustrative power supply 1422. Bus 1410 represents whatmay be one or more busses (such as an address bus, data bus, orcombination thereof). Although the various blocks of FIG. 14 are shownwith lines for the sake of clarity, in reality, these blocks representlogical, not necessarily actual, components. For example, one mayconsider a presentation component such as a display device to be an I/Ocomponent. Also, processors have memory. The inventors hereof recognizethat such is the nature of the art and reiterate that the diagram ofFIG. 14 is merely illustrative of an exemplary computing device that canbe used in connection with one or more aspects of the presenttechnology. Distinction is not made between such categories as“workstation,” “server,” “laptop,” “handheld device,” etc., as all arecontemplated within the scope of FIG. 14 and with reference to“computing device.”

Computing device 1400 typically includes a variety of computer-readablemedia. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can beaccessed by computing device 1400 and includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprisecomputer-storage media and communication media.

Computer-storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removableand non-removable media implemented in any method or technology forstorage of information such as computer-readable instructions, datastructures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage mediaincludes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or othermemory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVDs) or otheroptical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed bycomputing device 1400. Computer storage media does not comprise signalsper se.

Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated datasignal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includesany information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means asignal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed insuch a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,and not limitation, communication media includes wired media, such as awired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such asacoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any ofthe above should also be included within the scope of computer-readablemedia.

Memory 1412 includes computer storage media in the form of volatileand/or nonvolatile memory. The memory may be removable, non-removable,or a combination thereof. Exemplary hardware devices include solid-statememory, hard drives, optical-disc drives, etc. Computing device 1400includes one or more processors 1414 that read data from variousentities such as memory 1412 or I/O components 1420. Presentationcomponent(s) 1416 presents data indications to a user or other device.Exemplary presentation components include a display device, speaker,printing component, vibrating component, and the like.

The I/O ports 1418 allow computing device 1400 to be logically coupledto other devices, including I/O components 1420, some of which may bebuilt in. Illustrative components include a microphone, joystick, gamepad, satellite dish, scanner, printer, wireless device, etc.

The I/O components 1420 may provide a natural user interface (NUI) thatprocesses air gestures, voice, or other physiological inputs generatedby a user. In some instances, inputs may be transmitted to anappropriate network element for further processing. An NUI may implementany combination of speech recognition, touch and stylus recognition,facial recognition, biometric recognition, gesture recognition both onscreen and adjacent to the screen, air gestures, head and eye tracking,and touch recognition associated with displays on the computing device1400. The computing device 1400 may be equipped with depth cameras, suchas stereoscopic camera systems, infrared camera systems, RGB camerasystems, and combinations of these, for gesture detection andrecognition. Additionally, the computing device 1400 may be equippedwith accelerometers or gyroscopes that enable detection of motion. Theoutput of the accelerometers or gyroscopes may be provided to thedisplay of the computing device 1400 to render immersive augmentedreality or virtual reality.

Some aspects of computing device 1400 may include one or more radio(s)1424 (or similar wireless communication components). The radio 1424transmits and receives radio or wireless communications. The computingdevice 1400 may be a wireless terminal adapted to receive communicationsand media over various wireless networks. Computing device 1400 maycommunicate via wireless protocols, such as code division multipleaccess (“CDMA”), global system for mobiles (“GSM”), or time divisionmultiple access (“TDMA”), as well as others, to communicate with otherdevices. The radio communications may be a short-range connection, along-range connection, or a combination of both a short-range and along-range wireless telecommunications connection. When we refer to“short” and “long” types of connections, we do not mean to refer to thespatial relation between two devices. Instead, we are generallyreferring to short range and long range as different categories, ortypes, of connections (i.e., a primary connection and a secondaryconnection). A short-range connection may include, by way of example andnot limitation, a Wi-Fi® connection to a device (e.g., mobile hotspot)that provides access to a wireless communications network, such as aWLAN connection using the 802.11 protocol; a Bluetooth connection toanother computing device is a second example of a short-rangeconnection, or a near-field communication connection. A long-rangeconnection may include a connection using, by way of example and notlimitation, one or more of CDMA, GPRS, GSM, TDMA, and 802.16 protocols.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as wellas components not shown, are possible without departing from the scopeof the claims below. Aspects of the present technology have beendescribed with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive.Alternative aspects will become apparent to readers of this disclosureafter and because of reading it. Alternative means of implementing theaforementioned can be completed without departing from the scope of theclaims below. Certain features and sub-combinations are of utility andmay be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinationsand are contemplated within the scope of the claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of activating postage from acomputing device, comprising: receiving, at a postage-activationapplication, a unique identifier that is encoded with an instance ofactivatable postage printed on an item; and communicating, from thepostage-activation application, an activation message to anactivatable-postage service that comprises the unique identifier.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising determining a postage raterequired for the item to be posted and communicating a postage valuethat is associated with the unique identifier to the activatable-postageservice.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining the postagerate comprises identifying a greeting card to be sent in the item byscanning the greeting card and looking up specifications for thegreeting card in a greeting card database.
 4. The method of claim 3,wherein the greeting card is identified through computer vision analysisof a visual design on the greeting card.
 5. The method of claim 3,wherein the greeting card is identified through identification of aUniversal Product Code (UPC) on the greeting card.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the instance of activatable postage is not associatedwith any postage value at a time of said receiving.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the instance of activatable postage comprises anon-human readable forgery prevention mark that is machine readable by acarrier's item processing device.
 8. A method for tracking an activationstatus of activatable postage, comprising: receiving an activationmessage that comprises a postage value and a unique identifierassociated with an instance of activatable postage; performing a firstupdate to a record in an activatable-postage database to associate theunique identifier with the postage value; receiving a deactivationmessage from a carrier that received an item with the instance ofactivatable postage affixed to the item; and performing a second updateto the record in the activatable-postage database to deactivate theinstance of activatable postage.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising receiving a request from the carrier to provide the postagevalue and communicating a response to the carrier with the postagevalue.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique identifier was inthe activatable-postage database prior to receiving the activationmessage.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the activation message alsoidentifies a purchaser of the instance of activatable postage anddestination information.
 12. The method of claim 8, further comprisingsending a message to a payment system indicating that the instance ofactivatable postage has been processed by the carrier.
 13. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the record was not associated with a value before thefirst update.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein an absence of thevalue in the record made the instance of activatable postage associatedwith unique identifier inactive and non-usable for postage.
 15. A methodof processing activatable postage, the method comprising: receiving anitem with an instance of activatable postage affixed to or printed onthe item; identifying a unique identifier encoded in the instance ofactivatable postage using a sensor; authenticating the instance ofactivatable postage; and communicating a deactivation message to theactivatable-postage service.
 16. The method of claim 15, whereinauthenticating the instance of activatable postage comprises:calculating a postage rate for the item; communicating a first requestto an activatable-postage service for a postage value associated withthe unique identifier; receiving the postage value from theactivatable-postage service; and comparing the postage value to theapplied postage rate.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprisingdetermining that the postage value is less than the applied postagerate, communicating to the activatable-postage service a second requestto charge a difference between the postage value and the correct postagerate; receiving a charge confirmation for the difference from theactivatable-postage service; and processing the item.
 18. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the difference is paid by an entity that issued theinstance of activatable postage.
 19. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising receiving a payment in an amount of the postage value inresponse to the deactivation message.
 20. A method of printingactivatable postage comprising: identifying a unique identifier for anindividual instance of activatable postage; encoding the uniqueidentifier in a machine readable format; and printing the uniqueidentifier on a tangible media.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein theunique identifier is associated with a record in an activatable-postageservice.